


Gentle Hands & Gentler Hearts

by Lady_Phenyx



Series: Fluffvember 2019 [26]
Category: Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson, 楽しいムーミン一家 | Moomin (Anime 1990)
Genre: Don't copy to another site, Fluff, Gen, Good Parent Joxaren | The Joxter, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Moominpappa is working through some things, it's in the past but referenced
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:34:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21576133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Phenyx/pseuds/Lady_Phenyx
Summary: The Orphanage Principal was strict and no-nonsense, even when it came time to soothe or care for a hurt.On theOshun Oxtra, Moomin's learning just how many things she was wrong about when it comes to first aid.Fluffvember Day 26: "Stay with me for awhile" | "HELP I HAVE A SPLINTER"
Series: Fluffvember 2019 [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1533602
Comments: 13
Kudos: 141





	Gentle Hands & Gentler Hearts

There were certain ways things were done at the orphanage. Some of them Moomin knew were wrong even before he left, but for most of them, he didn't really have any other reference, and so that was just the way things were.

So when he got hurt while dealing with a hole on the _Oshun Oxtra's_ lower deck that he and Muddler were fixing, the board they had to pull off tearing off before they expected it to and leaving them both with cuts and splinters, he didn't think anything of it. First aid hurt more than just dealing with it himself, he'd be fine. He'd take care of it later.

Muddler, on the other hand... “UNCLE! JOXTER! HELP!” he wailed.

Joxter scrambled into the room, followed seconds after by Hodgkins.

Muddler held out his paw, huge tears in his eyes threatening to spill.

There was a moment as the two looked at his paw and saw what was wrong.

“...it's just a splinter,” Joxter said flatly. “The way you were yelling, I expected more blood.”

“It hurts,” Muddler whimpered, pouting, tears starting to pool in his eyes as he looked up at Joxter.

Joxter rolled his eyes, reaching for Muddler's uninjured paw. “Oh, all right. Come on, then. Go on, Hodkins, I've got this,” he said, and though the words were irritated, the tone was tolerant, almost fond. Like he'd hardly expected anything else.

Joxter paused, his nose wrinkling as he sniffed, and he looked back at Moomin, who was trying to hide his lightly bleeding cuts. “Come on then, you too,” he said. “Might as well take care of it now, while I'll have the kit out.”

Moomin went stiff in panic before slowly, unwillingly, following.

He made his way up to the deck, where Joxter was turning Muddler's paw in his own, examining the splinter. “In there deep,” Joxter said softly as Muddler sniffed.

The first aid kit was sitting next to Joxter, and he mixed up a paste, carefully smearing it over the wound. “Let that sit for a bit – it'll help draw it out,” he said. Muddler pouted and Joxter patted the deck by his side.

It took barely a second before Muddler was pressed against Joxter's side, with Joxter whispering something that sounded reassuring.

Moomin stood and stared. Joxter's paws were so gentle as he handled Muddler, when he'd still half expected to come up on deck to find Hodgkins holding the crying Muddler down while Joxter pried the splinter from his finger.

The Principal wasn't the most gentle creature, at times. That was the way to deal with things like that, she claimed – so you'd learn not to do it again, and they needed to just get it over with. Don't waste time, bad enough you did something foolish to get hurt in the first place.

Joxter glanced over at Moomin, gesturing him over. “Come on, let me see.”

Moomin hesitated, but he'd learned that the longer he made someone wait, the worse things would be.

Yes, Joxter had been gentle with Muddler, but that didn't mean anything.

Moomin braced himself as Joxter took his paw, turning it this way and that. “Really did a number on yourself,” Joxter murmured. “None of them are that deep, at least.”

He let go of Moomin's paw, turning to the first aid kit for clean needle and tweezers.

He took Moomin's paw again, gently pressing around one of the splinters. “This might hurt a bit, I'll try to make it quick and as painless as I can,” he said.

With that, he started working at the splinter.

Moomin braced himself, and though it did prick and was uncomfortable, it was nothing like the orphanage.

Joxter was patient, and careful, easing the splinter out and checking over the spot before giving it a spot of antiseptic and moving on to the next, with the worst wounds being bandaged.

A bit overkill, in Moomin's opinion, but he didn't say so, almost afraid of breaking the strange spell that had Joxter being so gentle with him.

And it still didn't hurt, even as Joxter finished the last and began bandaging the worst of the cuts. The antiseptic stung, yes, but...

Moomin had never imagined anyone could be so gentle. Especially not someone like Joxter, who he'd thought would be impatient about having to tend to them, demanding they do it themselves so he could get back to his nap.

Joxter glanced up at him through his bangs, almost as if he could hear what Moomin was thinking, and Moomin realized how still he was, how carefully he was holding his paw out to Joxter, still braced for pain.

“Not much for comfort at that orphanage, were they?” Joxter said, wrapping another bandage. “Did I miss any?”

“Ah, no, I think that's all of them,” Moomin said, his mind still a whirl.

Joxter nodded and turned back to Muddler.

“Um, what's that stuff you put on Muddler's paw?” Moomin asked.

“Hm? Oh, a drawing salve. It urges the splinter up to the surface when it doesn't want to come out, so it's easier to get, and this one numbs it a little, too,” Joxter said as he unwrapped Muddler's finger. “Looks like it's working. I'm going to try and get it out now, Mudds.”

Muddler teared up again but nodded.

Joxter bent over Muddler's paw, intent on the splinter, and Moomin stared still.

At the orphanage, it would have been dug out without numbing or drawing salves. Moomin had just thought that was how it worked.

Joxter made a small sound of victory, cutting through Muddler's whimpers. “Got it! That was a nasty one,” he said, lying it on a piece of cloth next to him. “Almost done, it was deep enough I have to bandage it, okay Muddler?”

Moomin continued to stare as the stand offish Joxter took care of Muddler, telling him what he was about to do before he did it and reassuring him while he did it – just as he'd been doing for Moomin a few minutes before, though Moomin had been too wrapped up waiting for the facade to fall to appreciate it.

Joxter finished wrapping the bandage, tying it off carefully. “There now. I'm not gonna kiss it better, though.”

“Aw, come on, you know you want to,” Muddler teased.

Joxter snorted softly. “Don't push it.”

Muddler smiled back, a little wetly. “Thanks, Joxter,” he said. “It really hurt.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got your back,” Joxter said. Muddler threw his arms around Joxter for a quick hug, nearly unbalancing them both, before disappearing into his tin.

The sounds from inside suggested Muddler was doing something with his button collection to help himself calm down.

Joxter glanced over at Moomin as he packed up the first aid kit. “You okay?” he asked softly.

“Huh? Oh, ah, me? Yes, yes of course, everything's great,” Moomin said quickly.

Too quickly and too forcefully, if the way Joxter looked at him was any indication.

“Right...well, I'm off to finish my nap,” he said, pausing to see if Moomin would say anything else.

“Okay...thanks, Joxter,” was all he said.

Joxter nodded to him and curled up on the deck, wrapping his tail around himself and nodding off while Moomin moved to the rail.

He turned his paws over and over, looking at the neat bandages, his thoughts tangled and confused.

And hopeful.

\---XXX---

Moomin hissed with pain, rolling over quickly and holding his leg. The knee was already beading with blood and painful, though instinctively he tried to hide it.

But Hodgkins had already seen and was already approaching with the first aid kit.

“That was a nasty tumble...just as I thought, hold on for a minute. This might sting,” he said, washing off Moomin's knee.

Bandaging a furry knee was nearly impossible, so the best they could do was keep it clean until it scabbed over, and Hodgkins helped Moomin hobble back to the _Oxtra_.

And once again, Moomin was struck with how gentle they all were, how none of them snapped, none of them got mad at him for not finishing his fair share of the work that day.

It was just a scrape, something he'd have been sharply told to walk off before, and it was sinking in just how terribly it had been to treat a child the way he'd been treated.

\---XXX---

Joxter squirmed and yowled as they pulled him out of his cot, where he'd gone to hide, Hodgkins scolding the whole time.

He settled down to pout once they had him out of the room, on the deck in the sun where they could see, and Moomin held onto him as Hodkins doctored him up.

At first, Moomin held tight as he'd been taught, but without realizing it, his arms relaxed around Joxter as he lay limp and pouting in Moomin's arms until it was a hug, not a hold.

“There,” Hodgkins declared. “Not much I can do about the tail, but I did make him apologize for stepping on it, so there's that. Does it still hurt? It's not broken or anything, is it?”

Joxter gave it a flick, wincing. “Just sore.”

“Good. You're worse than Moomin sometimes, I swear. Willing to mend us up and then going and hiding when you get hurt. You need to stop doing that,” Hodgkins scolded. “Both of you.”

Joxter grumbled, his tail flicking again, and he winced. 

And Moomin went to bed that night wondering, worrying, and sleeping uneasily.

He knew why he hid...but had no idea why Joxter would.

\---XXX---

Moomin laid in his berth and tried not to cry.

He was hurt, Muddler was hurt, Joxter was hurt, the  _Oxtra_ was damaged, and as much as he tried to wriggle away from the knowledge, it was his fault.

No matter that none of them were blaming him. No matter that there wasn't an angry word thrown his way, all of them claiming it was an accident through winces as they patched him and each other up.

It was still his fault.

The door creaked open, and Joxter limped in, draping himself across Moomin.

“...you're in here blaming yourself, aren't you?” he said.

Moomin huffed and refused to look at him. 

“It really was an accident,” Joxter said. “Or are you still waiting for us to punish you for getting hurt or something?”

Moomin deflated. Joxter simply hummed, tail flicking.

“Just...stay awhile?” Moomin asked after a moment.

Joxter didn't answer, but he did curl up more comfortably on top of Moomin, and that was answer enough for now, and more comforting than Moomin could express.

\---XXX---

It had been a long time since the  _Oshun Oxtra_ , and they'd all grown and changed since then.

Moominpappa knew he'd changed thanks to all of them, even if he wasn't always aware of it.

But the memories rushed back when Joxter and Snufkin appeared on their doorstep late, late in the night, nearly one in the morning, in the middle of a storm.

Or, to be more precise, Moominpappa heard noise downstairs and made his cautious way down to find them in the front room, with Joxter easing Snufkin down onto the sofa, both of them soaked through.

And when the light fell of them, Moominpappa could see bruises.

Then there was too much to do to pause and think, to be amazed that Joxter actually came to them for help, between waking Moominmamma and hurrying to get the pair dried off and bandaged up.

Joxter was in worse condition than Snufkin, who was more upset than his father and didn't want him out of his sight just yet.

They ended up in the guest/sick room, both of them curled up together on the bed, dry and bandaged. 

Moominmamma pulled up the covers, stroking along Snufkin's side as he curled tighter into his father.

“What happened?” Moominpappa asked, the question they hadn't had time to ask yet, more concerned with checking the bruises and making sure they were both all right. “Shall I get the Inspector?”

Joxter snorted softly. “As if police are going to help a pair of vagabonds,” he said, stroking Snufkin's hair.

“This one's dating your stepdaughter, and knows Snufkin,” Moominmamma pointed out. “You might be surprised.”

“Let's just try it before you take care of it yourself, whatever it is,” she suggested when Joxter didn't respond.

“They were outside the Valley,” Joxter said. “They'll be easy to find if they make their way in.” His paw tightened for a moment, claws flashing in the lamplight. 

“Do you know why...?” Moominpappa asked.

Joxter sighed, glancing down at his sleeping son.

“Someone's angry with us, if what they were saying was right,” he said softly. “I don't have proof, but I have a few ideas. I don't think it was anyone from the valley, so I don't know what the Inspector can do.”

He glanced down at Snufkin, and the other two understood why he was more battered than his son. Come down to it, and in a similar situation, they'd be the same.

“We can talk about it in the morning. You should rest. You're safe here,” Moominmamma said, running a paw over Joxter's hair. She met his eyes, and there was a moment of understanding between them, another Moominpappa stood behind his wife and met Joxter's eyes before he nodded once, shortly.

People forgot that Joxter was a predator, with his lazy, let-life-come-as-it-will attitude, with how he kept the claws and fangs sheathed most of the time. But they knew better.

And, for all they were soft and gentle, Moomins technically were predators as well.

And someone had gone after two of theirs.

“Stay for awhile?” Joxter asked softly, almost bashfully.

The two smiled, and made themselves comfortable.

The orphanage had tried to teach Moominpappa to be submissive and cold. These people taught him to be kind.

And now, to protect.

And he was going to show how well he'd learned both lessons they'd taught him.


End file.
